FOREST OF DEAN FMD GROUP

PUBLIC MEETING'S UNANIMOUS CALL TO OPPOSE ANIMAL HEALTH BILL - AND
FOR PUBLIC INQUIRY INTO FMD

Strasbourg Parliament invited to visit Forest of Dean to take evidence for EU
Public Inquiry

Around 150 people from the Forest of Dean and surrounding area unanimously
backed calls to oppose the Animal Health Bill and demand a full Public
Inquiry into Foot & Mouth at last night's public meeting.

The meeting, organised by the Forest of Dean FMD Action Group at the Forest
Hills Golf Club, Coleford, was attended by many farmers, rural businesses and
local people. Memories of the tragedy of the Foot & Mouth epidemic in the
FOD had not been forgotten and those present were determined that it must
never happen again.

Carole Youngs, who chaired the meeting said "We must make sure all the
lessons are learnt from the terrible events that happened in the Forest. We
must also prevent the draconian provisions in the new Animal Health Act from
becoming law and making it impossible for farmers to appeal against the
killing of their healthy animals in the future."

Two further propositions also received unanimous support. Firstly, that
"vaccination to live" must be used in future to control FMD, secondly, that
the meeting supported the EU Decision to hold a Public Inquiry. It called
upon the Strasbourg parliament to visit the UK to take evidence and hear at
first hand the experiences in the FOD and the lack of a scientific basis for
the unwarranted contiguous cull.

The meeting also heard from an experienced and diverse array of speakers:

Barbara Jordan, solicitor from Ross put forward a very clear and well argued
case for opposing the new Animal Health Bill.

Peter Woods, of Vets for Vaccination, spoke of the huge human, social and
economic cost to the whole community of the FMD epidemic.

Mark Harper, Conservative PPC 2001 - involved in farm gate protests,
eloquently recalled the bungling, maladminstration and sheer intimidation by
the Government and the Ministry.

Local farmer Bill Osborn spoke with great feeling at the legacy of unease and
disquiet that followed in the wake of the misery that farmers and local
people experienced in dealing with FMD.

Janet Bayley, of the National Foot & Mouth Group, described how action
opposing the contiguous cull had continued after the FOD campaign and how, in
preparing cases for the 3 Inquiries, it was becoming increasingly apparent
that they all fell far short of a thorough, rigorous, independent Public
Inquiry

Stephen Alexander from Class Law Solicitors explained the action that the UK
Rural Business Campaign was undertaking to gain compensation for farmers,
rural businesses and those who had suffered loss as a result of the
Governments mishandling of the crisis and abuses of Human Rights.

Lawrence Alderson of Rare Breeds International clearly explained that if the
new legislation was adopted this would mean some rare breeds of sheep would
face extinction, and that there was no proven need for such measures.

Robert Purdie, NFU representative in the Forest of Dean, faced hostile
critcism for the role of the NFU during the epidemic but defended its stance
and said the NFU was not given clear advice on vaccination from the
Government.

Dr Richard Lawson, Green Party spokesman on FMD, spoke of the pollution
caused by the pyres and of the emotional and psyschological cost to people
and communities from witnessing and experiencing the slaughter of their
animals and the dreadful scenes that surrounded them.

Finally, and by no means quietly, David Handley gave a rousing account of
Farmers For Action activities and what they had achieved, saying that it was
only by acting together and uniting that we would gain the common goal of a
full, thorough, Public Inquiry and get the proposed legislation rejected.